[Harry Meatmotor]

@pmf 181667 wrote:

Electric bikes. Not a fan.

Yeah, but they’re the panacea we’ve all been waiting for to make sure everybody who has money and political power experiences the inconveniences of bike commuting so they can then lobby on behalf of the plebs that ride regular bikes.

[Harry Meatmotor]

@lordofthemark 180743 wrote:

Another reason to call your passes. This morning, I was making my usual turn from the NB MVT onto the 14th Street bridge. As I usually do, I stretched my left arm out to signal my turn. A fast quiet guy on a road bike chose that moment to pass me on the left without ringing or calling. As the Duke of Wellington said about Waterloo “It was a damned nice (IE close) thing” He passed inches from my hand.

Do I need to look back to check for passing bikes before signalling a left?

at that particular intersection, I always check behind before signaling and then making the left turn.

[Harry Meatmotor]

@Brett L. 180078 wrote:

That lead me to some interesting articles! It really makes me want to check out the parrafin wax route, if only as a trial basis. Any experience with a pre-mixed one like Molten Speed Wax versus a “homemade” recipe of parrafin plus additives?

I did years ago, but after R’n’R showed up, “long form” chain waxing is (imho) not worth it unless you’re looking for marginal gains in friction reduction. Both methods, or a hybrid of the two (immaculately clean new chain plus soak in R’n’R) gives great results for longevity. I’m gonna sound snooty, but Silca NFS is absolutely the fastest/smoothest feeling lube I’ve used. Beats the pants off R’n’R Gold. But zero longevity unless you into the “daily chain wipe” protocol. IOW, race bikes? Silca or homemade wax. Daily driver? R’n’R gold or blue.

[Harry Meatmotor]

@Tania 180089 wrote:

This thread makes my head hurt – too many choices/decisions.

I’ve become much better about drive train maintenance. Wipe it down and re-lube (I’m a T-9 girl) every third or fourth ride and then if it’s been in wet (rain, raging creeks, on the back of my car in a thunderstorm) I’ll use some Finish Line citrus degreaser before re-lubing. Every so often I’ll use the park tool chain cleaner thingy that jabberwocky told me I should buy but turning on the hose is just such a pain (the spigot valve is in a tough spot).

I do apply a single drop of lube to each link which makes the SO crazy. Drip, drip, drip, drip, drip, turn cranks a little bit, drip, drip, drip.

You and Silca NFS or Dumond Tech Pro are a match made in heaven. Boeshield T-9 was developed more as a corrosion inhibitor that ended up being okay as a lubricant. As far as I understand it, Boeing developed Boeshield t-9 to spray on fancy machined aluminum parts for airplanes that to sat on shelves for 6 months in a warehouse before use. Not exactly the same as bike chains, but close.

I’ll also add that in the realm of lubricants there are two main camps: wet lube and dry lube. wet lube is generally oil-based and attracts dirt (but not water), but has marginally better lubrication and cushioning properties. Dry lube is generally wax-based and tends to shed dirt (but captures water), and has similar lubricity and cushioning properties compared to oil-based lubricants. Generally…

Ultimately, cleanliness is next to Godliness with regards to chain longevity.

[Harry Meatmotor]

Old man yelling at clouds wrote:

The factory lubricant all by itself is usually good for several hundred miles of service if the bike is not ridden in wet or dusty conditions. It is best not to apply any sort of lube to a new chain until it is clearly needed, because any wet lube you can apply will dilute the factory lube.

Yeah, so if you’re interested in getting grit into the rollers in a heartbeat, the factory grease is great. “not ridden in wet or dusty conditions”. As a lubricant, grease is really good at staying put and maintaining a cushioning barrier between moving metal parts, but it does very little to keep dirt out; rather, it collects it. So it turns into great lubricity plus sandpaper. It also doesn’t do a good job at moving the teeny tiny bits of metal that come off the chain during use away from the pins and rollers even if you ride in non-dusty non-wet conditions. Nearly 17 people in the entire cycling universe are blessed with non-dusty, non-wet conditions all year ’round.

Cleaning off the factory grease side-steps “several hundred miles of service” that will prematurely wear the chain before you apply any chain lube afterwards.

[Harry Meatmotor]

Old man yelling at clouds wrote:

The factory lubricant all by itself is usually good for several hundred miles of service if the bike is not ridden in wet or dusty conditions. It is best not to apply any sort of lube to a new chain until it is clearly needed, because any wet lube you can apply will dilute the factory lube.

Yeah, so if you’re interested in getting grit into the rollers in a heartbeat, the factory grease is great. “not ridden in wet or dusty conditions”. As a lubricant, grease is really good at staying put and maintaining a barrier between moving metal parts, but it does very little to keep dirt out; rather, it collects it. So it turns into great lubricity plus sandpaper. It also doesn’t do a good job at moving the teeny tiny bits of metal that come off the chain during use away from the pins and rollers even if you ride in non-dusty non-wet conditions. Nearly 17 people in the entire cycling universe are blessed with those riding conditions all year ’round.

Cleaning off the factory grease side-steps “several hundred miles of service” that will prematurely wear the chain before you apply any chain lube afterwards.

[Harry Meatmotor]

@bentbike33 180082 wrote:

So what is the best degreaser for getting rid of the stuff chains are coated with for shipment?

non-diluted simple green if you’re willing to let it soak over night.

[Harry Meatmotor]

@hozn 180088 wrote:

Are you sure Rock’n’Roll is wax-based? I had heard it was a PTFE lubricant but I’ve never seen it described as wax-based (it is usually contrasted to wax lubricants — but sometimes also contrasted to “other PTFE” lubricants, so I’m not entirely sure what that says).

It’s wax. It probably has some PTFE in the mix tho, too.

[Harry Meatmotor]

There are 2 methods of applying wax to a chain.

The first is the least involved: buy a wax-based liquid lubricant like Rock’n’roll, White Lightning, etc. Follow the instructions on the bottle and you’ll likely get a cleaner chain than most oil-based lubricants. When properly applied to a completely clean new chain, wax based lubes (especially those for wetter riding conditions e.g., R’n’R Blue) are no better or worse than oil-based lubes in the wet, imho.

The second method of applying paraffin wax (with or without friction modifiers, like powdered Teflon) is much more involved. This is the “old school” chain wax method. First, the (new only – don’t bother doing this to an old!!) chain needs to be cleaned really well. First, soak in degreaser, then scrub. Then, clean with acetone. Then, place the chain in a low temperature oven (about 250 degrees) for an hour or two. Then, after the chain has cooled to room temperature, wipe it down with a microfiber cloth. Dip the chain into the liquid/melted paraffin (a small crock pot works well as the wax vessel) and hang the chain to set. Gently wipe off the excess wax, and install the chain. To “top up” the lube, simply draw the chain through a clean microfiber cloth, then draw the chain over a solid bar of paraffin wax.

The key to wax lubes (and most of the “newer” light/high performance oil-based lubes like Silca NFS, Du Monde Tech Pro, Smoove, etc.) is to start with a super-duper clean chain. Most new chains ship with a coating of light grease. This grease is more of a rust inhibitor than a lubricant. It also keeps most chain lubes from bonding with the metal of the chain. So, cleaning off the grease completely will generally give better results with any lube.

There’s also been a lot of interesting research into both the durability (decreasing chain wear), and performance (decreasing friction) – a quick google search for ‘Cycling Tips Chain lube test’ and ‘Friction Facts’ will be a good start.

[Harry Meatmotor]

Scientifical Mental Magic!

[Harry Meatmotor]

Here’s some more info:

https://www.pezcyclingnews.com/toolbox/toolbox-heat-adaptation-hacks-for-cyclists/

[Harry Meatmotor]

Those are two fairly different bikes to cross shop. You’re comparing a $10k (new) SRAM Red22 race bike to a entry-to-mid level endurance road bike. If you’re used to a CAAD10, you’re going to find the fit to be nearly identical to the SuperSix, only stiffer and lighter.

[Harry Meatmotor]

@Dewey 179320 wrote:

So with the National Weather Service publishing a heat advisory map showing 107 today in DC, how do you like to keep cool when riding in our hot and humid summer climate? Water of course, today I’m trying out a bandana I can fill with a gel ice pack

pantyhose filled w/ ice stuffed down the back of the jersey.

[Harry Meatmotor]

@Brendan von Buckingham 178826 wrote:

Saw an ebike yesterday that had only one front chain ring. It couldn’t have been more than 2″ in diameter; (maybe 12 teeth?). Rings on the back cassette were huge in comparison; like pie plates. I can’t conceive how the cyclist adds any power to the ebike in that set up. What am I missing?

eMTB

[Harry Meatmotor]

@lordofthemark 178811 wrote:

I have been told by the good folks at Phoenix that I probably need a new crankset/chain rings.

1. To tell if the chain rings are worn out, I check the teeth right? I could post some pics here for your opinions.

Put the chain on the outer chainring, put the pedals in the 6 o’clock and 12 o’clock position. Grab a single outer link of the chain at the 3 o’clock position and pull away from the chainring. If you can see more than 2 or 3mm between the top of the tooth (on a non-“shaped” or intentionally truncated tooth) and the bottom of the outer link, that chainring should probably be replaced. Repeat the same process on other chainrings (middle, granny).

2. In theory I don’t have to replace all the chain rings at once right? I could only replace the worn ones.

I’d recommend replacing the middle and outer at the same time. the inner usually doesn’t see enough wear unless the drivetrain is completely filthy.

3. Some people say just replace the whole crankset its more economical. What are the pluses and minuses?

I’m restating, but in your specific case I’d recommend replacing the crankset. Pluses: it’s super cheap, shifts great, and is pretty easy. minuses: it seems wasteful, and will likely upset the spirit of Sheldon Brown. If you were asking about old 9 speed Dura Ace, I’d suggest just replacing the chainrings.

4. Assuming its reasonable to just replace the chain rings, how do I tell if the other parts (that is just the crank arms, correct?) are worn out or need replacement?

You will likely need to replace chain, cassette, and chainrings at the same. If you keep using an old cassette, it will prematurely wear out the new chain, which will prematurely wear out the new chain rings. You will also need to inspect the pulley wheels in the rear derailleur for worn teeth, too.

5. Are there issues with sizing? Will any crankset or chain rings fit any bike? (oops I just saw wiki has something on this, but not clear if I need to worry about it)

The wiki (and google) cover BCD and chainring spacing for 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11/12 spd pretty well. It would take me 3 days to type out all the idiosyncrasies of BCD permutations and weird crank/bottom bracket setups. Be glad you have one of the most common setups, i.e., JIS square taper, threaded BB, 74-110BCD (as best as I can tell by looking at pictures) 5-arm triple.

6. Following on from 5, I see chain rings offered cheap on the DC bike marketplace. What do I need to know in terms of sizing, etc to make sure they are right for my bike?

See above re: sizing/specifications – I don’t see a problem getting chainrings used for cheap off of DC Used, but you have to know what to look for on a bare chainring as far as wear characteristics to be sure you’re not getting an already worn chainring. I’d prefer new take-off, or BNIB over “used, only 500 miles”.

7. I know this came up on the other thread, but is replacing the chain rings or the crankset myself difficult? What do I need to know?

The first time you remove a crank arm, you’re going to be surprised at the smell of the grease on the spindle.

1) remove both pedals
2) remove both crank bolts
3) remove crank arms using appropriate crank removal tool
4) install new crank arms, tighten to 30 ft/lbs
5) install pedals
6) adjust upper and lower limit screws on front derailleur
7) adjust cable tension on front derailleur

answers bolded above.

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